1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to staple removers; and, more particularly, to double jawed staple removers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of modern-day businesses utilize staple removers on a daily basis to effect disengagement of staples from stapled articles. Staple removers are also commonly used within the personal residence of the typical consumer. Of the commercially available hand-held staple removers utilized in both business and consumer applications, one of the most common types is the double-jawed staple remover.
The typical double-jawed staple remover is provided with first and second jaws which are pivotably connected for rotation towards one another about a single axis. The first jaw has a first pair of spaced apart walls which move in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation and which have wedging elements for engaging a staple. The second jaw has a second pair of spaced apart walls which also move in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation and which also have wedging elements for engaging a staple. The distance between the second pair of walls relative to the first pair of walls is such that, upon rotation of the first and second jaws towards one another into a closed position, the second pair of walls are positioned between the overlap with the first pair of walls.
The first and second jaws of these staple removers are typically provided with finger receiving elements which are positioned on the outside of the first and second jaws, respectively, substantially adjacent the wedging elements of the first and second pairs of walls.
To effect removal of a staple from a stapled article, the operator forcibly rotates the first and second jaws towards one another into overlapping positions, usually by applying a thumb to one finger receiving element and one or more fingers to the other finger receiving element, simultaneously driving the wedging elements of the first and second pair of walls between the staple and the stapled article and thereafter pulling or twisting the double-jawed staple remover so as to disengage the staple from the stapled article.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,033, I addressed the problem where, in heavy duty applications, the operator must often apply substantial forces to the finger receiving elements and may succeed only in partially disengaging the staple from the stapled article. In the course of squeezing, pulling and/or twisting the staple, it is also common for the staple to shear so as to leave a portion of the staple within the stapled article with an exposed tip extending therefrom. Accordingly, the operator of these double-jawed staple removers must locate a pair of pliers or other suitable means for gripping and separating the partially disengaged or sheared staple from the stapled article. This is highly inefficient and results in the loss of valuable time. I thus disclosed in my patent a double-jawed staple-remover having a pair of grippers for removing partially disengaged or sheared staples from a stapled article.
Thus, the staple remover in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,033 is a multi-purpose tool. It is desirable to have such a tool perform as many functions as possible. For example, the staples being removed may be attached to letters or other correspondence arriving at the user's desk in envelopes. There is thus a need for an envelope opening tool handy along with the staple remover.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a staple remover with an envelope opening tool on the remover itself.